RFID tag and printer system

ABSTRACT

An RFID label with embedded tag is passed through an RFID antenna in a printer system, where the RFID antenna allows a roll of such labels to pass in close proximity to the antenna and still allow each individual RFID tag to be read and/or programmed. The RFID antenna has a rectangular RF field spreader in contact with a triangular divergent RF conductor with an RF source point at the point. Ground planes are located on either side of the antenna. In another embodiment, the printer system extracts or parses bar code commands from a data stream and passes the commands to both a printer and an RFID reader to print the image and program the tag with the bar code information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/660,856, filed Sep. 12, 2003.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to printer systems, and in particular, aprinter system for communicating with radio frequency identification(RFID) labels.

2. Related Art

RFID transponders or tags, either active or passive, are typically usedwith an RFID reader to read information from the RFID tag. Theinformation is then stored or otherwise used in various applications,such as monitoring, cataloging, and/or tracking of the item associatedwith the RFID tag, paying tolls, and managing security access. Forexample, RFID tags can be obtained through companies such as AlienTechnology Corporation of Morgan Hill, Calif. Many applications for barcodes can also be used in conjunction with RFID systems.

A conventional RFID tag and reader uses radio frequency signals toacquire data remotely from the tags within the range of the reader. Oneexample is reading the information associated with a transponder carriedin a car, which allows the RFID system to determine the number of timesa car passes through an RFID reader mounted over a toll road. Thisinformation can then be processed and a bill may be sent to the owner ofthe transponder based on the number of times the toll road was used.Another example is reading information from a group of objects, such asa cart of groceries. Each grocery item would have an RFID tag or label,which may include the description and price of the item. An RFID readercan then read the entire cart of items, print out the item descriptionand price, and total price. This is in contrast to bar code systems, inwhich a bar code scanner must be brought within sufficient range anddirection to the bar code in order for a scanner to read each individualitem. Yet another example is reading RFID tags on cartons stored onpallets as the pallets are moved through a warehouse. This allowsefficient inventory tracking of arriving and/or departing items.

These and other typical RFID systems require antennas that are able tointerrogate RFID tags that are many wavelengths away. Such antennastypically have large power and beam widths. These types of antennas arenot suitable for use in applications that require directional andconfined interrogation.

RFID labels, such as for cartons or pallets, can be produced by placingan RFID tag in a label, programming information into the tag, such asfrom a host computer, and based on the information, printing the labelwith a proper bar code and/or other printable information using athermal printer. RFID labels can also be produced in a thermal printerby first printing on the label and then programming or encoding the RFIDtag on the label. These labels can then be read by both a bar codescanner and an RFID reader. However, printing after programming forcesadditional handling of the roll of labels and requires the use ofadditional hardware. To ensure that the correct information is printedon a label, an RFID reader must be used to synchronize the thermalprinting process with the associated RFID tag. Furthermore, thecapabilities of programming and reading RFID tags used in thermalprinter labels is limited, due in part, to the mechanical profile of theprinter, which may cause performance issues with radio frequency signalsassociated with RFID technology, and to the proximity of multiple tagscoupled with the need to address (program) only one tag at a time.

Accordingly, there is a need for printers and components that are ableto process RFID labels that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior artas discussed above.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the invention, a thermal printer is used toread and write an RFID tag on a label and to print the label based oninformation read from the RFID tag. A thin quarter wave resonant antennais used in one embodiment for interrogation of the RFID tag, with anoperation frequency between 902 and 928 MHz and a free space wavelengthbetween 12.73 and 13.9 inches. Such an antenna allows 1) the RF field tobe controlled so that only the RFID tag associated with the label to beprinted by the thermal print head is encoded, while not interrogatingother RFID tags in a label roll, and 2) communication with an RFID tagas the label is moving across the antenna field.

According to one embodiment, a roll of blank labels includes an RFID tagembedded onto each label. The roll is inserted into a thermal printerhaving a thermal print head and an RFID antenna located between theprint head and the roll of RFID labels and underneath the path of thelabels. The RFID tags can be programmed with known information, such asfrom a host computer, and verified that the programmed information iscorrect. When a tag is programmed or encoded, any existing data is firsterased and the new information transmitted, via the RFID antenna, to thetag. A read operation then follows to verify that the correctinformation was written. In one embodiment, if a first read (verify)operation indicates an improperly programmed tag, additional writeoperations, each followed by a read (verify) operation, are performedbefore the RFID tag is considered defective. If the RFID tag isdefective, an error notification can be given to the operator and theprinting halted or the thermal print head can print onto the label withan indication that the RFID tag is defective.

This allows the printer to have the capability to program data into anRFID label and verify that correct data was programmed before printing.If an error is detected, the printer can over-strike the label,indicating an error in the tag.

According to another embodiment, the RFID tag is interrogated atdecreasing RF power levels until a minimum power level is determinedthat still allows the RFID tag to be read. This allows the system todetermine a level of RFID tag performance margin or RFID tag qualitylevel.

Any data accumulated associated with the RFID tag can be stored andretrieved for later usage, such as the number of defective tags, thenumber of RFID tag retries are needed for a successful write, and theminimum RF power level for an RFID tag.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, information from adata stream from a host computer is intercepted, reconfigured, and usedfor programming or writing to the RFID tag. In one embodiment, bar codecommands are extracted from the data stream. The bar code data is thenformatted into an RFID command and the bar code data is subsequentlyprogrammed into the RFID tag, and the RFID tag is printed with thecommands from the data stream. The bar code data may be manipulated toensure compliance with the RFID tag capabilities. Modifying the bar codedata stream into an RFID programming command eliminates the need tomodify the host application software.

It is noted that some company's thermal printers can print labels basedon other company's languages allowing easy migration into competitorapplications. Thus, the concept of converting the bar code command intoan RFID command can be applied to a thermal printer that supports notonly its standard programming language but also any competitor languagesthat the printer happens to support.

This invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with thefollowing detailed description taken together with the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a thermal printer system with the RFIDsubsystem installed according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a label with an RFID tag according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows an RFID antenna for use in the system of FIG. 1 accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a process for writing to and printing ona label according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a process for reading from and printingon a label according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a printer system for extracting commandsfrom a data stream and printing and programming a label according to oneembodiment of the invention.

Use of the same or similar reference numbers in different figuresindicates same or like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a printer system 100 with a radiofrequency identification (RFID) reader subsystem 102 according to oneembodiment. Printer system 100 also includes a roll 104 of labels ormedia, where an RFID tag is embedded in each label. RFID tags areconventional passive tags, such as manufactured by Alien TechnologyCorporation. Labels from roll 104 are fed over an RFID antenna 106,interrogated, and printed by a thermal print head 108. A host computer112 coupled to a system controller 110 that is in turn coupled to RFIDreader subsystem 102 and antenna 106 allows the RFID tag on each labelto be written to and verified. If the RDID tag was programmed correctly,the label passes through thermal print head 108 for printing. Theresulting label then has both a printed media as well as a programmedRFID tag that can be read, such as with bar code scanners and RFreaders, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a label 200 from roll 104 of FIG. 1, where label 200includes an RFID tag 202. RFID tag 202, in one embodiment, is embeddedon label 200 between a layer of wax paper or liner 204 and the adhesiveside of label 200. As seen from FIG. 2, RFID tag 202 is approximatelycentered width-wise and slightly off-center length-wise. An outline ofan RFID antenna 206, associated with RFID tag 202, is also shown, alongwith the outline of an RFID tag assembly (inlay) 208. This example isfrom an RFID tag assembly manufactured by Alien Technology Corporation.RFID tag 202 and RFID antenna 206 are conventional elements. Also, asshown in FIG. 2, label 200 is one of many labels from roll 104, eachlabel 200 can be separated from an adjacent label by a perforation 210.Perforation 210 allows labels to be easily separated after printing.Label 200 shown in FIG. 2 is a 4×6 inch label, although other sizelabels can also be used, such as 4×4 inch labels.

Referring back to FIG. 1, labels 200 from roll 104 pass over RFIDantenna 106 for interrogation. In one embodiment, labels 200 pass at aspeed of up to 10 inches per second, which for a 6 inch label is up to 5labels every 3 seconds. A media drive motor 116, coupled to systemcontroller 110, drives a platen 118 to pull labels 200 through theprinter, as is known in the art. System controller 110 is also coupledto a power supply 120 and a user-operated control panel 122 that allowsthe user to control certain operations of the print system, as will bediscussed below. System controller 110 also controls thermal ribbondrive motors 124 and receives information from a label position sensor130, which allows system controller 110 to communicate the appropriateactions to other portions of the printer system. An interface adapterand power supply 128 within RFID reader subsystem 102 provides power toRFID reader 114 and RFID antenna 106 and allows signals between systemcontroller 110 and RFID antenna 106 and reader 114 to be received andtransmitted.

Due in part to the small areas within a printer system, labels 200 arebrought in close proximity to RFID antenna 106 during interrogation. Alabel position sensor 130 senses the start of a new label and conveysthat information to system controller 110. In one embodiment, labels 200pass within approximately 0.30 inches or less of RFID antenna 106. Thus,contrary to conventional antennas used for RFID tag interrogation havinglarge beam widths, RFID antenna 106 of the present invention, accordingto one embodiment, is a quarter wave resonant antenna having a freespace wavelength between approximately 12.73 inches and 13.9 inches.

FIG. 3 shows RFID antenna 106 according to one embodiment. RFID antenna106 is a quarter wave resonant antenna formed on a printed circuit boardassembly 300 having a rectangular shaped RF field spreader 302 and atriangular shaped divergent RF conductor 304, both formed from copperaccording to one embodiment, although other conductive materials mayalso be suitable. The narrow end of divergent RF conductor 304 isconnected to an RF source node 306.

On either side of RF field spreader 302 and RF conductor 304 are groundplanes 308. In one embodiment, RF source node 306 is electricallyconnected to RFID reader 114 by means of a coaxial cable and amicrostrip transmission line, both having a characteristic impedance of50 ohms. The microstrip line transports the RF signal from the edge ofthe board, which is where the coaxial cable is terminated, to thedesired center connect point. This eliminates the need to terminate thecoaxial cable at the center of the antenna, which would be difficult dueto the mechanical constraints of the printer system. In one embodiment,the transition from coaxial cable to the microstrip transmission lineincorporates an 6 dB attenuator as part of the antenna printed circuitboard assembly 300. FIG. 3 shows the various dimensions of RFID antenna106 according to one embodiment. Also shown in FIG. 3 by dotted lines310 is the outline of RFID tag assembly 208, which moves over RFIDantenna 106 along the direction of arrow 312. Note that the length ofRFID antenna 106 and positioning of label 200 allows RFID tag 202 topass over RFID antenna 106 with RF source point 306 closely centeredrelative to tag 202.

The RFID antenna used in the present invention is designed to meet thespecific requirements of the application, e.g., reading and writing RFIDtags in a small area with hundreds of RFID labels in close proximity toeach other, i.e., in a roll. In one embodiment, the operating frequencyof RFID reader 114 (from FIG. 1) is time varying (frequency hopping)between approximately 902 and 928 MHz inclusive in the ultra highfrequency (UHF) band. The frequency hopping is known and is required byregulatory agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)in order to minimize interference. This frequency range has a wavelengthin free space between 13.9″ and 12.73″ inclusive. Other suitable RFIDfrequencies include 13.46 MHz in the HF band, 860 MHz in the UHF band,and 2.45 GHz in the UHF band.

As mentioned above, the RFID tags pass very close to the RFID antenna(e.g., 0.3 inches). This is in sharp contrast to conventional RFID tagantennas, which are designed to operate at multiple wavelength distancesbetween the RFID tag and the RFID receiver. These conventionalapplications required the RFID tags to be read at a much largerdistance. Consequently, these RFID antennas are designed for use at adistance of multiple wavelengths of the operating frequency. However, inthe present invention, the interrogation distance as the RFID tag orlabel passes through the controlled RF field radiating from the antennais just a small fraction of the wavelength. For example, in oneembodiment where the distance between the RFID antenna and the RFID tagis 0.25 inches and the operating wavelength is 12.73 inches, thedistance is approximately 0.02 wavelengths. In order to maximizeperformance, the antenna is designed to be near resonance when an RFIDtag is in close proximity to the antenna. Furthermore, at these closedistances and speeds of up to 10 inches per second, the RFID antennamust be able to accurately read from and write to the RFID tag as itpasses through the RF field. The close distances also require that theRFID antenna be able to properly read from and write to RFID tags in thepresence of various metallic structures within the thermal printeritself.

Other issues include the fact that there may be hundreds of RFID tags orlabels in a roll, all of which are in close proximity to the RFIDantenna and reader. Therefore, the RF field of RFID antenna must becontrolled so that only the RFID tag passing over the RFID antenna isread/programmed and only the corresponding label is printed.Interrogation with one label should not affect any of the other RFIDlabels or tags, either within the roll or outside the roll. This wouldrequire a narrow RF field pattern; however, the RF field pattern fromthe RFID antenna must not be so narrow that communication is notpossible when the RFID tag is in motion and traveling over a minimumdistance of 2.5 inches. This distance results from the physical spaceavailable in the T5000 thermal printer from Printronix and the distancebetween the label position sensor 130 and the stop point of a printedlabel as it waits for the user to remove the label. This allowscommunication with the RFID tag while in this wait mode position.Further, because the RF frequency is not fixed (i.e., it is frequencyhopped over 902 and 928 MHz), the RFID antenna should have broadbandcharacteristics in order to be efficient over the operating frequencyrange. Divergent RF conductor 304 allows RFID antenna 106 to be somewhatbroadband over the 902 to 928 MHz operating range.

To achieve the foregoing requirements, RFID antenna 106 is designed as aquarter wave resonant antenna, such as shown in FIG. 3. In oneembodiment, the antenna elements are constructed on a printed circuitboard with a nominal thickness of 0.062″ and a relative dielectricconstant of 4.0. A relatively high dielectric constant material isdesired to minimize the level of RF radiation off of the back of theantenna. Backside radiation would add to the level of reflected RFenergy present inside the printer housing and increase the possibilityof accessing unwanted RFID tags. The driven element of the antenna ismade broadband by utilizing divergent RF conductor 304 with the narrowend connected to RF source node 306. RF field spreader 302 is providedat right angles to the main axis of divergent conductor 304 to helpspread the RF field along the media or label path. Because it isrequired that communications with the RFID tag be possible as the tag ismoved over a controlled distance, some RF field distortion relative to anormal quarter-wave dipole is desired. This is achieved by expanding thefar end of the basic radiating element. Ground planes 306 on either sideof the RF radiating element (RF conductor 304 and RF field spreader 302)are provided to minimize radiation of unwanted RF energy. Ground planes306 close to the radiating element of the antenna restrain the extent ofthe RF field radiated by the antenna, thereby preventing unwantedcommunications with adjacent or nearby RFID tags on the roll of labels.Communicating with nearby RFID tags may greatly reduce the accuracy ofreading or programming specific tags.

In the embodiment described with respect to and shown in FIG. 3, RFIDantenna 106 can be used in a system for interrogating RFID tags (inlays)that are approximately 4 inches in length and 0.5 inches in width. TheRF field is concentrated over this 4 inch width and spread over about2.5 inches of the label length.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing steps used during a programming andprinting of RFID label 200 according to one embodiment. In step 400, thehost computer sends print image and tag data in one file to the printer.A counter is incremented, in step 402, to indicate that a new tag orlabel is passing through for processing. Data is then written onto theRFID tag via RFID circuitry and the RFID antenna in step 404. The writeor programming operation is checked to determine if the data was writtencorrectly in step 406. If the programming operation was successful, thelabel is printed in step 408, such as by a thermal print head. However,if the programming operation was not successful, the system determinesif a certain number N of write operations have been attempted on thespecific label in step 410. In one embodiment, N is between 1 and 5 andcan be set by the user. If the number of attempts has reached N (i.e., Nunsuccessful writes), an error is designated in step 412. Theappropriate action is then taken in step 414. In one embodiment, theuser can select one of two actions. The first action is haltingoperation of the printing process until the user re-starts the process.The second action is continuing the process by over-striking the labelwith an indication that the label is defective.

If, as determined in step 410, the maximum number of attempts has beenreached, the systems attempts a re-write of the same information on thenext label in step 416. A counter for the number of write attempts oneach label is incremented in step 418, and the programming operation isagain verified in step 406.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing steps used during a reading and printingof RFID label 200 according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, theRFID label has been pre-programmed. In step 500, the printer system issent print image instructions and a read command to read the RFID tag.Next, a label counter is incremented in step 502, which counts thenumber of RFID labels passing through the printer. As the RFID labelpasses over the RFID antenna, the RFID tag within the label is read, instep 504. The printer system then determines, in step 506, if theinformation read from the RFID tag is what should be programmed, i.e.,if there is an error with the programming. If the data in the tag iscorrect, the label is printed with image data from a thermal print headin step 508. However, if the read operation determines, in step 510,that the data stored in the tag is in error or cannot be read, theprinter system determines if a certain number N read attempts have beenmade on the RFID label. In one embodiment, N is between 1 and 5, asdetermined by the user. If there has been N read attempts, an error inthe tag is noted in step 512. Next, an appropriate action is taken instep 514. In one embodiment, the user can select whether the printingstops until the user re-starts the process or the printing continueswith a thermal print head over striking the label to indicate a faultyRFID tag.

If, in step 510, the number of read attempts has not reached N, anotherread operation on the RFID tag is performed in step 516. A read counterindicating the number of read attempts on the tag is then incremented instep 518. The information in the tag is again checked for properprogramming. Multiple read attempts allow the printer system todesignate a faulty label with a higher level of confidence since somereads may not properly read the tag data, due to various factors,including interference from other sources.

Labels are advanced from the roll of labels for processing on the nextRFID label. Processing continues until an end-of-label indicator isreached, the required number of labels have been printed, or the userhalts operation, such as when a faulty label is encountered or a jobneeds to be interrupted.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a printer system 600 that extractsinformation from a data stream, transforms or converts portions of thedata stream, if needed, and uses the portion to program the RFID tag,while also printing the label in the normal manner. In one embodiment,the portion is the bar code command. Printer system 600 receivesinformation via a data stream 602 from a host computer 604 that includesa host application, typically specific to the system through anelectrical and software interface. The electrical interface can be anysuitable communication means, such as, but not limited to, a serial orparallel physical link, an Ethernet connection, or a wireless link. Thedata stream contains various commands, such as line, box, font, and barcode commands, for printing lines, boxes, text, bar codes, and otherimages. The data stream is transmitted to the printer in specificlanguages to cause the printer to print an image on a label or othermedia.

Typically, each manufacturer uses a unique and specific language orsoftware interface, such as PGL (Programmable Graphics Language used andsupported by Printronix of Irvine, Calif.), ZPL (Zebra ProgrammingLanguage used and supported by Zebra Technologies of Illinois), and IPL(Intermec Programming Language used and supported by Intermec ofWashington). To add RFID tag programming capability to the printer,additional printer language commands must be developed. Further, in thenormal situation these commands would have to be integrated into hostsoftware application, at significant cost and effort, in order for theprinter to deliver programmed RFID tags. In one embodiment, the dataencapsulated in the bar code command is also programmed into the RFIDtag. In this situation, the host application need not be modified whenused in conjunction with additional software embedded in the printer.The additional printer software detects the bar code command from theincoming data stream and generates RFID specific commands which includethe bar code data. These in turn are routed to the RFID system forprogramming into the RFID label.

In FIG. 6, printer 600 includes a printer data control section 606 thatreceives the data stream and a printer engine control section 608 forprogramming and printing the RFID label. Character substitution table610, within printer data control section 606, is coupled to receive thedata stream from host computer 604. Character substitution table 610intercepts any incoming bar code command, identifies the bar code ofinterest, transmits this bar code command to a printer command parser612 for normal bar code printing, and in addition creates an RFID writecommand to allow programming of the RFID tag. Character substitutiontable 610 is a distinct software application that is downloaded to theprinter to effect the data manipulation. The data manipulation can bediverse. In one embodiment, character substitution table 610 pre-parsesthe incoming data stream to identify the specific bar code command ofinterest and associated bar code data. The bar code data is extractedfrom the bar code command and applied to the RFID write-tag command. Theresulting data string is transmitted to command parser 612 for normalcommand processing. The bar code command is also sent to command parser612 according to conventional methods, as is known in the art.

Printer command parser 612 identifies the print commands and transmitsthe print commands to an image formatter software module 614. Imageformatter 614 processes the print commands such as to create a bit imageof the desired print format. This bit image is transmitted to a printengine control system 616, within printer engine control 608, whichmanages the printer components (e.g., the print head, ribbon motors,platen motor and roller, sensors, etc.) to cause a printed image to becreated on the label.

In parallel with this print process, command parser 612 also transmitsthe RFID specific commands to an RFID data formatting software module618. This module formats the RFID data (or bar code data as was) sentwith the RFID command to meet the formatting requirements of the RFIDtag. In turn, this formatted RFID data is sent to an RFID control system620, within printer engine control 608, which includes an RFID reader(or transceiver) capable of programming the RFID tag embedded within thelabel. The reader is attached to the antenna described above. The resultis an RFID label that has been printed with images, as well as an RFIDtag programmed with information from the data stream. This allows usersto use their existing bar code application for RFID tags withoutextensive and costly modifications of the host computer applicationsoftware.

In one embodiment, this same technique can be applied to thermal printsystems that support more than one thermal printer language. Thecharacter substitution table can be configured to identify, for example,Zebra ZPL language bar code commands. Converting the bar code commandfrom the data stream into an RFID command for programming the RFID tagcan be utilized in systems that support various programming languages,such as from Zebra, Intermec, etc.

According to one embodiment, the bar codes can be supported in twomodes, a copy mode and a transform mode. In the copy mode, an RFID tagwith the exact information in the bar code is created, with a possibleexception of checksum data. The checksum data may be supplied with thedata or calculated by the printer. If calculated or generated by theprinter, the checksum data is not present in the RFID tag. In thetransform mode, data in the bar code is transformed before encoding intoa tag. Two types of bar codes suitable for the invention are IntegratedTwo of Five (ITF) and Code 128C, although other codes may also be used.In the transform mode, data encoded in a bar code may be copied orprogrammed directly onto an RFID tag, but not printed on the label. Thismay be the application where the RFID tag data is not related to orsupplements any of the printed bar code data. Data from the bar code mayalso be programmed exactly onto the RFID tag, except for the checksumand an application identifier or other type code.

Printer system 100 can be a standard thermal printing system, such asthe T5000 from Printronix of Irvine, Calif. The RFID antenna and readermay simply be inserted into the existing print system to obtain theadvantages discussed above of the present invention. Further, a simplemodification of inserting a character substitution table into theexisting code of the printer allows a printer to achieve the advantagesdiscussed herein.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merelymeant to be illustrative and not limiting. It will thus be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade without departing from this invention in its broader aspects.Therefore, the appended claims encompass all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

1. A printing system, comprising: a host computer, wherein the hostcomputer is capable of transmitting a data stream using a firstprogramming language; and a printer system, comprising: an extractorcoupled to receive the data stream, wherein the extractor extracts afirst portion of the data stream and generates RFID commands from thefirst portion; a parser coupled to the extractor, wherein the parserparses image portions from RFID portions of the first portion of thedata stream; an image formatter coupled to receive the image portionsfrom the parser; an RFID data formatter coupled to receive the RFIDportions from the parser; a print sub-system coupled to the imageformatter for printing an image on a label; and an RFID system coupledto the RFID data formatter for programming data on an RFID tag in thelabel.
 2. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the first programminglanguage is different than the programming language from the printersystem.
 3. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the first portion isbar code commands.
 4. The printing system of claim 1, wherein theextractor is a character substitution table.
 5. The printing system ofclaim 3, wherein the extractor generates an RFID command from bar codedata.
 6. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the print sub-systemcomprises a thermal print head.
 7. A method of processing an label withan RFID tag, comprising: receiving, from a host computer, a data streamin a programming language; extracting a first portion from the datastream; formatting at least part of the first portion into an RFIDcommand; programming bar code data into the RFID tag using the formattedportion; and printing the label using commands from the first portion ofthe data stream.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion arebar code commands.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising parsingthe RFID command to an RFID system and at least a portion of the datastream to a printer portion.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theprinter portion includes a thermal print head.
 11. The method of claim9, wherein the programming language is different than the programminglanguage of the printer portion.